Appliance for cleaning floors, walls, windows, &amp;c.



No. 7o|,s37. Patented June 3, I902.

c. w. 'SNELLEBBAND & J. P. R. n: BRITTO.

APPLIANCE FOR CLEANING FLOORS, WALLS, WINDOWS, 8w.

(Application filed Aug. 8, 1901- (No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OORNEL-IS WILl-IELM SNELLEBRAND AND J OSF] PINTO RODRIGUES DE BRITTO, OFRIO JANEIRO, BRAZIL.

APPLIANCE FOR CLEANING FLOORS, WALLS, WINDOWS, 80C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letterslatent No. 701,637, dated June 3,1902.

' Application filed August 8, 1901. Serial No. 71,894. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, OoRNELIs WILLI LM SNELLEBRAND, a subject of HerMajesty the Queen of the Netherlands, and J osn': PINTO RoDRIeUEs DEBRITTO, a citizen of the Republic of Brazil, both residing at RioJaneiro, Brazil, have invented a certain new'and'nseful ImprovedAppliance for Cleaning Floors,

vWalls, Windows, and the Like, of which'the following is aspecification.

Our invention consists of an improved appliance for cleaning andhygienic purposes to replace brooms and feather brushes, its objectbeing to enable the interiors of houses to be effectively cleaned byremoving and dissolving the dirt and dust thereof and by cat-ching andretaining (until removed) disease germs of all kinds. The appliance,which We term a hygienic broom, is capable of far more extendedapplication than the older appliances and may be used for cleaningfloors, doors, windows, ceilings, walls, window-glass, carpets,pictures, glass, furniture, and the like. The appliance will maintain ahigh state of cleanliness in houses and obviate the need of washing downwith large quantities of water, frequently a disagreeable and damagingoperation.

Sponge, as being flexible and porous, owing to which it can take upwater where desired, is the material employed as the principal agent inthe appliance. A very simple arrangement enables the impurities to beeasily I removed and permits the dust and micro-organisms deposited onthe surfaces in question to be collected in an efficacious manner.

Different modifications of our invention are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in

. which Figure 1 is a side elevation ofthe appliance. Fig. 2 is a frontelevation. Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing an incorrect manner ofusing the appliance. Fig. 4, on a reduced scale, shows the broom appliedto the cleaning of vertical surfaces; and Fig. 5, the same forhorizontal surfaces,'while Figs. 6 and 7 represent a modified formspecially intended for cleaning the'fioor underneath, heavy articles offurniture and showing two positions of the appliance.

The appliance is constructed of two un equal-sized plates 0. b, whichmay be pieces of'wood, as shown, which are connected one to the other bymeans of two steel springs c, and thereby firmly clip the sponge d. Thehandle 6 is attached to the center of the larger piece a. Figs. 4 and 5differ only in the method of attaching the handle e to the piece 01,according as the broom is to be used for vertical or horizontal work.

The appliance is easy and convenient to handle. The sponge, beingsteeped in water or in an antiseptic solution until all the air isdriven out of the pores and then squeezed to remove the excess ofliquid, is placed in the appliance in such a manner that about one-thirdof the sponge overlaps the wood, thus forming a swab which will come incontact with the surfacesto be cleaned. All that is then necessary is toslowly pass the appliance over whatever article is to be cleaned, only avery slight pressure being applied by the hand resting on the handle.For clean ing carpets, pictures, and other things which it isundesirable to damp the sponge is used in a moist state, but nearly freefrom Water. When the sponge is dirty, it is washed in a pail of waterwithout removing it from the handle, simple immersion followed bysqueezing out by hand several times repeated being sufficient.

The appliance should always be moved in one direction-namely, drawntoward the user-this being evidently essential when the removal of dustand disease germsis in question. This mode of application is indicatedby the construction of the appliance, since if 'moved in the otherdirection the pressure of the springs c will be overcome, the piece I)then separating fromthe piece a, and the sponge .being released, thusinterrupting the work. Fig. 1 shows the right way to use the appliance,while Fig. 3, illustrating the reverse movement, shows that the spongeis no longer held fast and will escape. In'orderto properly use theappliance, therefore, it is necessary to lay the same on that part ofthe floor or other surface to be cleaned that is farthest away from theoperator and. to then draw it inward, allowingit to slide over thesurface. For floor-cleaning an ordinary sponge is used, but afiner-quality sponge must be taken for cleaning curtains, ceilings,mirrors, pictures, &c.

The handle f(shown in Figs. 6 and 7) takes the form of a bent stick, asmall roller 1 being attached at the bend or elbow to support the broomwhen the appliance is pushed outward, a slight pressure of the hand onthe other extremity of the handle keeping the sponge from touching thefioor, as shown in Fig. 6. On the other hand, while the broom is beingdrawn toward the operator the handle is lifted, thus raising the rollerout of contact with the floor, as shown in Fig. 7.

Compared with ordinary brooms or brushes, our appliance offers thefollowing advantages:

(a) Thepractical mannerin which surfaces can be cleaned with water bydissolving and immediately absorbing dirt, dust, and taking upmicro-organisms, which latter would otherwise be disseminated throughthe atmosphere of the house.

(1)) Its general utility, enabling all the internal surfaces of a houseto be cleaned. It does not injure any material. On the contrary,thefabrics used for making carpets, cu rtains, &c., preserve theirprimitive freshness.

(0) Its use has the advantage of combining the cleaning and disinfectionof the house in one operation. It is an eificient prophylactic andenables the use of destructive compressed-air pumps to be dispensedwith.

((1) Its mechanical arrangement, the result of the different resistancesof the two parts I holding the sponge, necessitates the broom beingworked in the direction requisite to insure proper hygienic andefficacious cleaning, any movementin the opposite direction beingprevented by the apparatus itself.

What we claim is 1. In an appliance of the character described, a pairof plates, a spring connection secured to said plates for forcing themone toward the other, an absorbent material adapted to be arrangedbetween the said plates and held in position by the action of the springconnection, and a handle connected to one of the said plates.

2. In an appliance of the character described, a pair of plates, aspring connection secured to the said plates and adapted to force onetoward the other, an absorbent material arranged between said plates andretained in position by the action of said spring connection, a handleconnected to one of said plates and having a portion thereof extendingat an obtuse angle to the remaining portion, and a roller connected tothe handle at the jointure of the angularly-disposed portion of thehandle with the remaining portion thereof.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

[Ls] CORNELIS WILUELM SNELLEBRAND. JOSE PINTO RODRIGUES DE BRI'lTO.WVitnesses:

RAsIL BELFORT, F. G. HALLE.

